


Amazing how things work out

by kurojiri



Series: Iron Man Bingo 2019 Fills [9]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Daycare, Daycare, Daycare worker Tony Stark, Gen, Happy Hogan is Mentioned, Harley's little sister is mentioned, Iron Man Bingo 2019, Kid Harley Keener, Kid Peter Parker, Parental Tony Stark, Precious Peter Parker, Rhodey is mentioned - Freeform, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark is Good With Kids, Tony Stark-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-16
Updated: 2019-03-16
Packaged: 2019-11-20 14:36:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18127622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kurojiri/pseuds/kurojiri
Summary: It's a known fact that Tony could not function properly with other adults, but little kids, they were a lot smarter than they were given credit.





	Amazing how things work out

**Author's Note:**

> Square Fill: Daycare Worker IronDad AU

Oh, there had been days when Tony wondered how his life turned upside down and changed 180 degrees. He had so many photos, videos and people to have known that Tony Stark was not a child person from back in the day when he first had been introduced with parties and clubs. It didn't hurt that when he had been a teen and child he hadn’t liked talking or being in the same room as kids. They had always been dirty, loud and not enjoyable to hang around with. There been hardly anything to relate with them.

But then, somewhere after he cleaned up and with people like Rhodey, and Happy having nephews and nieces life had somehow equated to having these small humans orbiting towards him. He had been of course, too green back then and scared to have touched their toys, let alone, help carry them. But their babbles ceased to be annoying, their sassy comebacks had made him laugh louder since he had sobered up. It had been surreal that children and babies had been what helped Tony recover. Even more so, when he gained his first part-time job in a daycare near the apartment he shared with Happy.

The bills needed to be paid. And Tony took the job when a neighbor had seen how careful he had been with small kids. It worked out.

His days were hectic with some of the rowdy bunch, but he had also fun with the curious ones. Paint splashed on his apron he wore, food had been thrown his direction, and he had been given many lessons of life from the children themselves. It was a world away from reality, softer, easier. Tony Stark never knew how it gotten there, but when he met Harley Keener and his little sister he was sure it would never be the same. His feisty personality reminded him when he had used his own smart mouth against his nannies. It had taken a good while to bribe him to behave as the kid was too fast with finding any loopholes he could exploit. Life with him had taught Tony some valuable lessons about childcare.

Harley had been considered a delinquent for the faint of heart, but for Tony he knew better and felt a kinship with him. He was smart, quick to assemble how the world worked and that had given Tony a challenge to keep him entertained. His mother eventually had to move to Tennessee. It had been a little bittersweet to miss a kid like him and his sweet little sister that loved Dora the Explorer.

(He kept the watch that they gave him on their last day. He wore it every day and didn’t care if it was a little kid watch from Dora. It had been a present.)

The next chunk of weeks blurred to meeting another smart kid that would make him readjust his life. Albeit, he was a scrawny and very shy kid when they had gotten introduced. Peter Parker was the next kid that really punched Tony’s gut; he was the type that made his parental mood swings go up and down. If Harley was a smart mouth, Peter’s sweet puppy eyes made him weak. It had been a blessing that they had not ever met, because he knew as the rest of his coworkers, that it would have resulted into straight chaos.

His intelligence had also been a tad high that it had bumped Tony into collaborating with Peter personally to shed off boredom. Even if there had been a barrier between of some of the other kids it never remained uneven, Peter was just that sweet of a kid that he always managed to blend and teach others what he learned. He was practically a saint. Someone that had tempted Tony into wanting to really settle down and have a mini me of himself.

Tony didn’t play favorites.

(But he couldn't also fool anyone when he felt like a proud uncle when Peter chattered about his day and learning whatever experiment he was allowed to work with Tony or with his aunt and uncle when he went back home.)

Before he knew it, Tony’s life really had changed. So much it had been a complete contrast to his own childhood.

And he liked it.


End file.
